Signal-lantern.



PATEN'IED vFEB. 1Q, 1903. H. L. MOORE 6: J. E. LEWIS.

SIGNAL LANTERN.

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No. 720,271 4 PATENTED FEB. 10, 1903.

H. L MO0RE.& J. E. LEWIS.

SIGNAL LANTERN. APPLICATION FILED Mn 14, 1902.

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Afro/M5719 UN TED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

HERBERT L. MOORE AND JOHN E. LEWIS, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

SIGNAL-LANTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,271, dated February 10, 1903. Application filed May 14, 1902. Serial No. 107,275. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HERBERT L. MOORE and JOHN E. LEWIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Lanterns, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved signal-lantern of the class which is usually employed on railways for signaling purposes; and with this and other objectsin view the invention consists in a signal-lantern constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of our improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a signal-lanternconstructed according to our invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of a part of the top framework of the lantern-body; Fig. 3, a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 a sectional elevation of our improved lantern.

In the practice of our invention we provide a lantern-base a, which is cylindrical in form and composed of two concentric parts a and a between which is an annular space a closed at the bottom, as shown at 0. and open at the top, as shown at 0, and the inner member or casing c of the base a is provided with an inwardly and upwardly directed annular member a forming a rabbetgroove a adapted to receive the usual globe b, which rests thereon. We also provide a lamp-reservoir c, which is adapted to be inserted into the base a, and between which and the inner casing or member a of said base is an annular space 0 and the bottom of the reservoir a is provided with a downwardly-directed extension 0 having an outwardly-directed flange 0 provided with an upwardly-directed rim 0*", and the downwardly-directed portion a of the lamp-reservoir below the bottom 0 of said reservoir is provided with annularly-arranged perforations 0 which communicate with the annular adjacent to one of said grooves d and preferably at the left thereof is a spring 61 which passes through a keeper (1 and the free end of which is curved outwardly, as shown at d, and this spring is provided with a hole (i adapted to receive the corresponding pin (Z and in connecting the lamp-reservoir with the base of the lantern the reservoir is passed upward into the bottom of said base in such manner that the pins d enter the grooves d, and the said reservoir is then turned to the right and the pins 01 pass into horizontal slots d formed in the rim c and one of said pins passes through the hole d in the spring (Z and the reservoir is then locked in the base of the lantern, and in order to remove said reservoir from the base of thelantern the spring d is pulled outwardly and the reservoir is turned to the right until the pins (1 again enter the grooves (1, when said reservoir may be pulledrdownwardly out of the base a. The base of the lantern is also provided with a-framework or support composed of wires 6, which are secured thereto about midway thereof and which are curved downwardly and outwardly and connected with a ring 6 and this frame serves to hold the base a and the reservoir 0 above the ground or floor or other support on which the lantern may be placed, so as to permit the air to circulate freely below the base a and into and through the holes or openingsc and 0 The lantern is also provided with an open globe -frame which incloses the globe and which consists of vertically-arranged wires f, connected with the base a, at a predetermined distance below the top thereof, as shown at f and other wires f which are passed around the wires f midway thereof, and a top wire or ringf with which the upper ends of the wires f are connected, and at one side of The bottom flange of the the globe-frame the wires f are disconnected and bent inwardlyor formed into or provided with inwardly-directed loopsf, thus forming a vertical open space in the globe-frame and connected with the top ring or wire f over the space, as shown at g, wires g which are curved backwardly and inwardly to form arms having downwardly-directed and parallel members 9 which are secured at g to the top of the base a, and between the wire members 9 the top of said base a is provided with a vertically-arranged opening 9 having inwardly-directed lugs or projections 9 and the downwardly-directed members 9 of the arms g are also provided in the top thereof with notches or recesses g which open inwardly.

\Ve also provide a signal-globe h, which is adapted to fit in the annular space a between the parts a and a of the base a, and this globe maybe colored red or any other preferred color and may be raised, so as to inclose the lantern-globe b when in use and may be lowered into the annular space a when not in use. The means for raising-and lowering the signal-globe 7L consists of a vertically-arranged metal strip or holder 7L2, provided at the bottom with a hook 7L3, which is adapted to receive the lower end of said globe, and at the top with an inwardly and downwardly directed hook h, into which the upper end of said globe is inserted, and said hook 7L4 is provided with a flexible metal ring 7L5, which is secured thereto and adapted to fit within the globe h and to hold the same steady in theraising and lowering thereof, and this ring it is open at one side 01' opposite the strip h and may be expanded or contracted, as desired.

Secured to the metal strip he at a predetermined distance from the upper end thereof are spring-arms i, which pass outwardly between the vert-ically-arranged members g of the arms g and are provided with knobs or handles i and when the globe h is in its lowest position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the spring-armsi rest beneath the lugs or projections g and lock said globe in such position.

When it is desired to raise the globe 72 so that it will inclose the lantern-globe b, the spring-arms i are forced together and are raised upwardly between the parallel members g of the arms g until said spring-arms i reach the recesses g when they are released and fly out into said recesses, and the signalglobe h is held in the raised position and ready for use.

The lantern is also provided with a capj, having a downwardly and outwardly curved base flange or rim 7' and within said capj is placed a spiral springj which is held in place by a bottom plate j which fits in the bottom of the capj and is held in place by hangers 7' secured in the top of said cap, and said spring rests on the plate j, and said plate is provided with central openings 7'.

The capj is hinged to the ring or wire f of the lantern-globe frame at one side, as shown atj and the opposite side thereof is provided with a spring-hook fastening device 75, which is adapted to engage said top ring or wire f and when the capj is turned down and locked in position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plate 3' rests on the top of the globe b and securely holds said globe in position.

Our invention is not limited to the means herein described for hinging the cap j at one side or securing it at the other, and any suitable hinge and fastening device may be provided for this purpose, and other changes in and modifications of our invention may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a signal-lantern, an annular base having an annular chamber open at the top, means for supporting a globe on said annular base, a signal-globe adapted to rest in said annular chamber and provided at one side with a vertically-arranged holder having hooks at its upper and lower ends adapted to grasp the upper and lower ends of said signal-globe, said holder being also provided with outwardly-directed spring-arms,the open globe-frame of the lantern being also provided at one side with avertically-arranged open space and two vertically-arran ged members between which said spring-arms are adapted to pass, said vertically-arranged members being provided at the top thereof with recesses adapted to receive said spring-arms, and the outer wall of said annular chamber being also provided in the top thereof with an opening having side recesses adapted to receive said spring-arms, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a signal-lantern, an annular base having an annular chamber open at the top and adapted to receive a signal-globe which is adapted to be raised so as to inclose the lantern-globe, a reservoir adapted to be inserted into said annular base and of less diameter than said annular base whereby an annular space is formed between said base and said reservoir, said reservoir being also provided with a raised bottom below which are perforations communicating with said space, and with an outwardly-directed flange or rim also provided with perforations communicating with said ann ular chamber,and means for conmeeting said reservoir with said base, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 13th day of May, 1902.

HERBERT L. MOORE. JOHN E. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

T. A. STEWART, J. C. LARSEN. 

